Raising concerns will have been discussed with you as part of your Induction to training. We hope that you will never need to raise concerns but no system and no person is perfect. In the School of Primary Care we therefore have ways for you to raise issues that you feel need discussion.

What is a concern?

We are interested in hearing from you about anything to do with your training that is bothering you, causing you worry, or that you think is not right. Examples may include (but not be limited to) personal or patient safety, derogatory comments about you or other staff and patients, issues around working hours and timetables. Health Education England is an anti-racist organisation so we would particularly want to hear from you about any incidents of possible racism.

How do I raise a concern?

There are many ways to raise a concern and here are the most commonly used:

• Talk to your Clinical Supervisor/GP Trainer. Many concerns are due to miscommunication and/or are best dealt with locally so your Clinical Supervisor/GP Trainer is the person to approach.
• Educational Supervisor. All postgraduate doctors have an Educational Supervisor. They act as a source of continuity for you throughout your training and are well placed to listen and respond to your concerns.
• At regional teaching sessions. These happen regularly throughout your training. Small group work offers you plenty of opportunities to raise concerns. Groups are also invaluable for helping you better understand your concern – often it is difficult to know oneself whether a concern is significant and sharing them in a group will validate and calibrate the issues. Each group has a Training Programme Director (TPD). Part of their role is to ensure concerns are heard. You can also arrange to speak to your group’s TPD privately.
• You may contact your training programme directly and arrange to speak to a senior member of the admin or TPD team. Each programme has a Lead TPD: Natalie Hawkrigg at North Cumbria; Rubi Vijayakumar at Durham & Tees Valley and Steve Proctor at Northumbria
• Through your end of post feedback. This is important information and we look at it all carefully. We note concerns and follow them up appropriately with Trusts and GP Practices.
• To the LET. Many employment concerns are best dealt with by them. 
• Through your local Guardian of Safe Working.
• There are more formal ways of raising concerns. Details of the processes are available here

What will happen when I raise a concern?

You will be listened to and it will be taken seriously. The majority of concerns are relatively easy to resolve. Some are complex and take time and discussion to understand and conclude.

We understand that raising a concern about an aspect of training can be difficult for postgraduate doctors. It can feel that there is a power imbalance between postgraduate doctor in training and the training organisation and this inhibits postgraduate doctors at times from speaking up. Please be reassured that we understand this difficulty – we have all been postgraduate doctors ourselves – and work hard to make you feel comfortable to speak your mind.